A Burke County man was killed in a Catawba County crash. The deceased is 41-year-old Andrew Lee Cole of Connelly Springs.

Today (September 6), at approximately 3:00 a.m., the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to Zion Church Road near Butner Drive. A 2002 Suzuki motorcycle was traveling north on Zion Church Road and drove off the right side of the road. The driver was ejected from the motorcycle and struck a tree stump.

The driver of the motorcycle, Andrew Lee Cole, passed away as a result of his injuries at the scene. Zion Church Road was closed in the area during the on-scene investigation for one hour. The initial investigation indicates excessive speed as a contributing factor to the collision.